Articles tagged with Cancer Immunotherapy
Ugur Sahin received the 2019 German Cancer Award for his pioneering research on individualized cancer immunotherapies. He is developing technologies to identify and exploit unique cancer characteristics to guide the immune system against specific tumors.
Researchers at Osaka University have found a correlation between T cell activity in lung tumors and blood, predicting the efficacy of immune system-targeting therapy. This breakthrough enables non-invasive diagnosis and personalized treatment planning for lung cancer patients.
A study by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has identified a drug called dasatinib that could enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies for various types of cancers. The researchers found that combining dasatinib with anti-PD-1 therapy increased sensitivity in cancer cells, making it a promising approach to improve treatment outcomes.
A UCLA-led study found that administering immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab before surgery significantly extended the lives of people with recurrent glioblastoma. The study showed that those who received the drug prior to surgery lived nearly twice as long after surgery compared to those who received it afterward.
Pembrolizumab, a new immunotherapy drug, shows lasting tumor control and improved overall survival in advanced Merkel cell carcinoma patients. The study reports generally manageable side effects and supports the use of immunotherapy as an effective treatment option for this aggressive form of skin cancer.
Researchers at George Washington University Cancer Center have engineered a nanoimmunotherapy ensemble to increase the potency of immune checkpoint inhibitors in treating cancer. The goal is to convert 'cold' tumors into 'hot' tumors, which can be more responsive to immunotherapy.
Recent review highlights latest advances in precise nanomedicine for intelligent cancer therapy, exploring metallofullerenol nanoparticles, supramolecular chemo-therapy, and DNA nanorobots. These strategies aim to improve cancer imaging and therapeutic applications while understanding nanotoxicity.
Researchers have found that the LAG-3 molecule's major ligand is actually FGL1, not MHC-II as previously believed. This discovery suggests that designing drugs to block MHC-II may be problematic, and caution should be exercised in immunotherapy research.
A research team at Lund University successfully reprograms mouse and human skin cells into immune cells called dendritic cells. This breakthrough enables the development of novel dendritic cell-based immunotherapies against cancer. The process is quick, effective, and opens up possibilities for patient-specific treatment.
Researchers have developed a CRISPR-based system called SLICE to rapidly assess gene function in primary immune cells, guiding decision-making for next-generation cell therapies. The new method identified genes that promote T cell replication and suppress it, revealing key regulators of proliferation.
A patient-partnered genomics study identified immune checkpoint inhibition as a potential treatment option for patients with angiosarcomas of the head, face, neck, or scalp. The study found that patients with these tumors have high mutational burdens and may respond to immunotherapy.
Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center have found a specific strain of Helicobacter pylori strongly correlated with stomach cancer. The study suggests that the EPIYA D variant of the cagA gene may be used to identify high-risk patients and improve screening and treatment plans.
A subpopulation of PD-1-expressing NK cells within tumors responds to checkpoint blockade, activating anti-cancer effects. These cells contribute significantly to the efficacy of checkpoint-targeting immunotherapies, suggesting new strategies for improving treatment outcomes.
A UCLA-led study found that a combination of pembrolizumab and SD-101 can alter the tumor microenvironment, enabling the immune system to attack cancer more effectively. The treatment has shown promise in people receiving immunotherapy for the first time, with some patients experiencing complete tumor disappearance.
Researchers have discovered a genetic marker, MUC16 mutation, associated with higher tumor mutation load and improved responsiveness to immunotherapy in gastric cancer. This finding could help identify eligible patients for immunotherapy treatment, which currently responds positively in only 20-30% of cases.
Johns Hopkins researchers developed a new method to analyze bioinformatics data and determine how a patient's immune system responds to immunotherapy. The FEST analysis technique can be used to create a database associating immunotherapy-related responses with clinical benefits.
A study investigating combination checkpoint immunotherapy in lethal advanced prostate cancer revealed that genetic subsets of patients with AR-V7+ prostate cancer may benefit from treatment. One-quarter of patients achieved an objective response, and at least two remain alive for over 18 months.
A Monash University study found that older people's reduced immune responses to cancer and vaccines are due to the accumulation of dysfunctional immune cells. The researchers discovered two types of T cells that lose their ability to fight diseases with age, leading to lower success rates for cancer immunotherapy in the elderly.
The 2018 class of Pew-Stewart scholars is revolutionizing cancer research with promising opportunities to advance treatment, including immunotherapies and responses to these therapies. Their work will open doors to new lines of attack against cancer, addressing unexplored leads in the scientific quest to beat the disease.
A new method for predicting treatment success in cancer patients using immunotherapy has been discovered. This method relies on a protein called PD-1, which is found on the surface of human immune cells and allows them to detect tumors more effectively.
A UCLA-led study found how colon cancer alters its genes to avoid detection by the immune system. The ability of cancer to change its genes, called immunoediting, had never been described in colon cancer before.
Researchers at NCI developed a high-throughput method to identify mutations recognized by the immune system, leading to a complete response in a breast cancer patient. The treatment used tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes that specifically target tumor cell mutations, showing promise for treating common epithelial cancers.
A study found that baking soda can reverse acidity-induced dormancy and drug resistance in cancer cells, making them more susceptible to therapy. Researchers discovered that baking soda neutralizes the acidity of hypoxic patches in tumors, restoring mTOR activity and protein production.
Researchers from SU2C and Cancer Research Institute found that administering immunotherapy before surgery activates T-cells to hunt and destroy distant cancerous cells, preventing relapse. The approach showed encouraging outcomes in 45% of patients, with few evidence of cancer remaining upon follow-up.
The Stand Up To Cancer-St. Baldrick's Pediatric Cancer Dream Team will continue to develop new immunotherapy approaches for high-risk childhood cancers. The team has made significant contributions to the approval of CAR T-cell therapy and has identified ways to mitigate its side effects.
A study found that tumors may overcome immunotherapy by increasing TIM3 and regulatory T cells, which inactivate immune killer T cells. Adding a TIM3 inhibitor to radiotherapy/immunotherapy increased response duration, but tumors still relapsed. Researchers also discovered that Tregs contribute to cancer regrowth.
A new drug treatment has shown major tumor responses in early stage lung cancer patients before surgery, resulting in fewer relapses. The study found that providing the anti-PD-1 drug nivolumab before surgery increased anti-tumor T-cells that remained after the tumor was removed.
A new pre-clinical study suggests that combining PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies with CD27 antibodies may lead to improved immune responses against cancer cells. The combination treatment showed up to 60% protection from cancer, compared to 10% with single treatments.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have invented a new class of immunotherapy drugs called Y-traps, which target and disable key immune suppressors in tumors. The treatment has been shown to significantly decrease tumor growth and even work against cancers that do not respond to existing immunotherapy.
A single-center study found that cancer immunotherapy is safe for patients with rheumatologic diseases, with only a minority experiencing adverse effects. The treatment was successfully administered to all six affected patients, paving the way for its use in select groups with pre-existing conditions.
A new study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers found that tumors with high mutational burden are more likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors, a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs. The study suggests that precision medicine could be used to guide clinical trials and improve treatment outcomes for specific patient populations.
Researchers found that Bifidobacterium administration reduced weight loss and inflammatory cytokine levels in mice with colitis, while preserving antitumor immunity. This suggests a potential role for intestinal microbiota in cancer immunotherapy.
Researchers at Scripps Research Institute find Runx3 protein enables killer T cells to accumulate in solid tumors, potentially improving cancer immunotherapy strategies. Enhancing Runx3 activity delays tumor growth and prolongs survival in mouse melanoma models.
A new category of immunotherapies called checkpoint inhibitors shows promise in treating cancers in HIV patients, who were previously excluded from clinical trials. The ongoing study suggests that these drugs can be safely used to manage cancer in people with HIV, providing a new hope for this population.
Ludwig scientists present updates on checkpoint blockade immunotherapies for advanced melanoma and phase 1 clinical trials combining PI3K-gamma inhibitors with PD-1 blockade. Researchers also discuss novel approaches to boosting radiotherapy efficacy and understanding tumor immune suppression mechanisms.
Patients with higher diversity of bacteria in their digestive tract had longer median progression-free survival. A favorable microbiome also was associated with increased antigen processing and presentation by the immune system at the tumor site.
Researchers found that neutrophils can inhibit T lymphocyte activity, weakening the effect of cancer immunotherapy. This mechanism, triggered by soluble mediators released by cancer tissues, can cause an 'evil alter ego' in neutrophils, making them less effective at fighting cancer cells.
The Van Andel Research Institute has been awarded two grants totaling $5.5 million to pursue clinical trials of epigenetic drugs combining with immunotherapies to enhance tumor response. The trials aim to test whether epigenetic therapies can reverse resistance to immunotherapy in lung and bladder cancers.
The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has been selected as one of four national Cancer Immune Monitoring and Analysis Centers (CIMACs) under the Partnership for Accelerating Cancer Therapies (PACT). CIMACs will provide expertise in systematic collection, processing, and analysis of blood and tumor samples to improve immun...
Researchers at Weizmann Institute of Science find that oxygen-starved killer T cells are more effective at destroying cancerous tumors and outperform regular T cells in a mouse model. The study suggests an easy improvement to existing immunotherapy protocols.
Researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute discovered that PD-L1 is stabilized by protein CMTM6, making it a potential new therapeutic target for cancer treatment. This finding may also improve the prediction of treatment success in patients with current PD-L1 blockers.
Lung cancer clinical trials have complex requirements that act as a barrier to development and patient enrollment. A retrospective study found an increase in eligibility criteria for medical therapy trials, particularly for cardiac, concurrent medications, and immunotherapy-related treatments.
Researchers discovered dozens of new genes involved in resistance to immunotherapy treatments for cancer patients. The study used a novel CRISPR technique to examine genetic mutations in cancer cells and their interactions with the immune system.
A new screening method using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology has revealed new drug targets that could potentially enhance the effectiveness of PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors, a promising class of cancer immunotherapy. The study identified Ptpn2 as a key gene that makes tumor cells more susceptible to PD-1 blockade.
Researchers found that generating an optimal immune response against cancer requires the cooperation of two types of memory T cells: those that circulate in the blood and those that reside in tissues. This discovery has the potential to improve current cancer immunotherapy strategies, especially in preventing metastasis.
Researchers from Nationwide Children's Hospital used a combination of immunotherapies in a mouse model of rhabdomyosarcoma, finding that combining oncolytic virotherapy and PD-1 blockades was more effective than either approach alone. This new strategy marshals more T-cells to attack tumors without increasing regulatory T-cells.
Researchers developed nanoparticles that combine two immunotherapy tactics to target and destroy tumor cells, slowing growth in mice with different cancers. The treatment showed promise in treating various tumor types without severe side effects.
Scientists developed a new way to enhance the function of immune cells that destroy tumors in multiple myeloma. By blocking a hormone-related mechanism, they restored the ability of these cells to battle tumor growth. The research sheds light on a new form of cancer immunotherapy with promising prospects for cancer patients.
Carl June, MD, a renowned cancer and HIV gene therapy pioneer, will receive the American Society of Clinical Oncology's highest scientific honor. He is recognized for his groundbreaking development of personalized chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, which has shown remarkable success in treating various cancers.
Researchers found tumor mutation load correlates with age and cancer type, potentially increasing immunotherapy effectiveness. High TML is seen in melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and tumors lacking specific genes.
A new nanoparticle vaccine has been developed to target several different cancer types by delivering tumor antigens to immune cells. The nanovaccine showed anti-tumor efficacy in multiple tumor types in mice, slowing tumor growth and extending animal lives.
Dr. Neville Sanjana, a CRISPR specialist, has received the prestigious 2017 Kimmel Scholar Award to fund his study on cancer immunotherapy. His research aims to leverage CRISPR technology to comprehensively survey mutations that allow cancer cells to resist immunotherapy treatment.
Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School and Genome Institute of Singapore have identified altered promoters in gastric cancer that change gene expression profiles, enabling tumors to evade the immune system. The study's findings may lead to new approaches for cancer immunotherapy treatment.
Researchers at MUSC found that Th17 cells can be expanded outside the body without losing effectiveness, providing a promising alternative to classic T cells used in adoptive immunotherapy. This breakthrough enables longer window periods for obtaining effective T cells via expansion outside the body.
A new study published in Nature reveals that matching tumor size to the strength of the immune response can enhance treatment outcomes for melanoma patients. The research found that larger tumors require a stronger immune response to shrink, providing insights into why some patients don't respond to immunotherapy.
Researchers Michael Farwell and Gregory L. Beatty will receive $750,000 to develop a new tracking system for CAR T cells using PET imaging, improving the effectiveness of cancer treatments. They aim to make immunotherapies more effective in metastatic liver disease.
Carl June, a renowned immunotherapy pioneer, has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy. He designed chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment. June's work has had a significant impact on cancer research and treatment.
Researchers are exploring parallels between military counter-insurgency tactics and cancer treatment, focusing on targeted therapies that harness the patient's own resources. By adopting an intelligence-led approach, clinicians can adapt treatment strategies to tackle evolving tumour genetic codes.
Thomas Gajewski, a pioneer in cancer immunotherapy, has received a $4.2 million grant to support his research on overcoming tumor resistance. His team is exploring new approaches, including drugs that enhance immune system function and the role of gut microbiota in cancer.
The DART trial is a national immunotherapy clinical trial testing leading-edge treatments for rare cancers. Patients will receive ipilimumab and nivolumab combination therapy to fight cancer, with the goal of shrinking tumors and evaluating side effects.